The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-05-28

GLIDING one extremely doubtful, we
found six cases, all of whom were fe-
males; four adults, two children, five
white and close blood relatives, with a
history strongly pointing to hereditary
transmission of leprosy. Of these
five white persons, two are married
sisters living VISA sis on a street in
the 0utskirt of town. These two have
the disease PROFESSIONALLY, and SO has
the 1U-year-old daughter of one of
them. The 6-year-old sister of this
child has symptoms suggestive of the
leprOus faint. The other married sis
ter above mentioned has several chill
dren, none of whom show signs of dis
ease. The husbands of these ladies
are in perfect health. A near blood
relative, lady past middle life, has
signs reasonably suspicious OF the dis
ease, but by no means certain. Her
case constitutes the fifth white person.
These people have been in constant
and familiar association with the gen.
eral community during the whole of
their lives, and Notwithstanding the
fact that we have a history of the dis
ease associated with this particular
| family, how true or otherwise we are
unable to say, but at any rate extend
ing back some seventy years, yet at
the present time here are only six cases,
including even the most doubtful, al
though the opportunity to spread has
been all this time unlimited.
No such history of disease can
possibly agree with any accepted idea
of contagiousness as understood by
the medical profession. Your commits
sion, therefore, has failed to discover
any excuse or ground whatever for the
sudden outbreak at this moment Of the
wild, utterly false and probably mali
cious rumOrs which have magnified the
cases of few unfortunate children of
an inheritance. into mighty epidemic
of several hundred cases of leprosy, and
tho disease still spreading.
If leprosy has kindled such a panic
on the score Of its contagiousness. upon
| the same ground tubercular consump-
ton and syphilis should fill the world
with terror ungovernable; for the dan
gers in favor of the latter diseases over
the former are as ten millions to q single
one.
Your commission unhesitatingly de-
clares that Southern Louisiana, includ-
ing the parish Of st. Martin, is as safe
a region for human habitatioD, GER
tainly in SO far as the disease leprosy
is CONCERNED, as any In the United
States or in the world.
We would not be understood as de-
al 1.o&
the transmission of leprosy by contact;
but we are of the opinion if such does
ever occur, the case is exceedingly
rare, and is even then really case of
incubation. The disease is pIeventa-
BILE, and should be eradicated from
among the American people. There is
no cure of the individual; but the dis
ease should be limited to that one person
by isolation in an asylum or hospital
for leprosy only. Such an institution
could be established and maintained
by the State or national government at
a very moderate cost.
In arriving at complete history of
leprosy in st. Martinsville it is neces-
sary to go back a period of seventy
years. at which time the first case
known to the inhabitants was said to
have occurred in family who came
from Nova Scotia. In this family two
cases of leprosy occurred ending in
death in brief time. There has not
been in St. Martinsyille any lineal de-
scendant of this family and no appear
ance of the disease in the town until
thirty years after, that is to say about
forty years ago brother and sister
came from Nova Scotia and settled in st.
Martinsville, the disease appearing iu
the sister shortly after her arrival aud
making very rapid progress soon caus-
ed her death. The brother, some years
afterwards. developed the disease and
died in 1862. Both these people being
unmarried left no descendants.
The next case to occur was in the
person of a young man, native Of New
Jersey, but a resident Of Martinique for
some years. He arrived 10 st. Martins
vile in 1853, and first showed symp-
toms of leprosy in 1857; got progress
lively worse aud died ia 1867. He had
a brother. who is still living 10 St.
Martinsville, is married aud has fam
lily. They are all healthy.
The next case to occur was in the
person Of man, native of st. Mar
tinsville, whose mother was native of
San Domingo. This is of all the most
interesting case to as, because the
present cases being all lineal descend
ants of this mans mother, the heredi-
tary faint is clearly manifested. 1t is
said that he presented well marked
symptoms of leprosy and died in Octo-
Der, 1883.